Car side.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. J. R. BOWLING.

CAR SIDE APPLIOATION TILED JAN. 25, 1904.

Patented May 2, 1905.

PATTNT JOSEPH R. BOWVLING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSTGNOR TO THE IN- GOLDSBY AUTOMATIC CAR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF WEST V'lRG-INlA.

ORR SIDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,627, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed January 25, 1904. Serial No. 190,426.

To (all mil/01111 it may concern:

Be it known that I, .Tosurn' R. BOWLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car Sides, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to the construction of car sides, and has for its object the strengthening of such sides whereby they may be enabled to carry a large proportion of the load without unduly increasing the weight of the same.

Generally speaking, the invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations of elements set forth in the claims hereto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a car side embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of a portion of a car side, showing a modification of the end construction illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 representsadetail in elevation of one of the end tie-rods. Figs. 4.- and 5 are detail viewsrepresenting different forms of washers.

A represents one of the sides of the car, the same comprising an upper chord B, a lower chord B, end posts O, and intermediate posts O, O, and O connecting said chords, and planks l), suitably secured to the inner sides of said posts. Vertical posts O extend from the bolsters E inside of the planks l) to the crosscaps at the ends of the car-body.

F represents the end sills.

Ur represents diagonal tie-rods extending from the upper face of the upper chord to the lower face of the lower chord, said rods being inclined downwardly toward the center of the car. As shown, these rods extend from the junctions of the vertical posts O O with the upper chord to the junctions of such post with the lower chord, said rods extending through the chords and being provided with inclined Washers g 9' Suitable nuts g are provided by means of which the tension of said rods may be adjusted, the rods being free from the sides to permit such adjustment.

The lower ends 01 the two innermost tie-rods G extend to the lower central portion of the car side beneath a central post C.

Through the chords B 15' and the post O at the center of the car extends the tie-rod Or, the purpose of which is to prevent that portion of the chord B between the upper ex tremities of the innermost tie-rods G from buckling upward as the resultant of the strains set up by said rods in said chord.

It will benoted from an inspection of the drawings that the point where the lower end of one tie-rod (,1? passes through the lower chord and the point where the upper end of the tie-rod next remote from the end of the car passes through the upper chord are in substantial vertical alinement, said points being connected by the vertical posts U. I have shown vertical posts intermediate of the up per and lower extremities of each tie-rod. These posts are merelvfor the purpose of stiffening and securing the planks D and may be entirely omitted, if desired, without materially weakening the construction of the ear side.

The construction above described consti tutes, in eflt'eot, a Pratt truss applied to the car side. Oi the truss the chord l3 and the vertical posts constitute the compression member, while the bottom chord B and the tierods constitute the tension member. The intermediate planks I) being securely bolted to the posts will act in the capacity of counters to overcome whatever unequal loading is general to railway car-service. l 1 however, such planks should prove inadeipiate for this purpose, counter tie-rods may be introduced running from the top of the post O to the bottom of the posts (7.

The lower extremities oi the innermost tierods Gr may be provided with a common bearing or washer plate 7". The ends of the plate are bent back upon said plate to form the inclined washers g). The tie-rod Gr may extend through this plate intermediate of the washers.

As a simple manner of overcoming the difficulty of having the tie-rods G at the ends mand on the side.

of the car and the tie-rods Gr cross each otherat their upper ends and to avoid the large amount of cutting of the top member incident thereto I have formed the members G as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. The upper end of the rod is flattened into a plate, a portion of said plate being inclined to form a washer or bearing surface for the nut of the tierod G. The lower end of the tie-rod Gr extends through the end sill F and is provided with a washer and a nut.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a modification of the end of the car side shown in Fig. 1, the inclined post C being done away with and a vertical post U extending from the bolster to the cross-cap, being substituted therefor.

In Fig. 4: I have shown another modification of the construction employed for the end of the car side. This construction is similar to that shown in Fig. 2 in that I retain the Vertical post C shown in Fig. 2, but differs from the construction shown in such figure in that the tie-rod connecting the members B I5 is of the ordinary construction and in place of the bearing-plate formed with said rod I employ a separate plate 9, said plate having a vertical flange g engaging the end of the member B, and a horizontal flange g resting on the top of said member. The end of this horizontal flange is turned back upon the body of the flange, as shown at g", to form an abutment for the washer 9, said washer being cut away and provided .with an overhanging lip g, passing over the top of the folded portion g of the plate g. The tierod G passes through the horizontal portion of the plate 9 and is provided with a nut for adjusting the tension of the same.

The washers g g and the plates formed with the rods G are provided with lugs g g, respectively engaging the members B B, whereby said washers and plate are held securely in place. As a modification of this construction I may employ the washers g (Shown in Fig. 5.) These washers are provided with a number of angular projections g, which in setting up the nuts on the ends of the rodsG will be pressed into the members B B, and thus prevent the slipping of said washers. v I

I/Vhile 1 have shown but two tie-rods G G on each side of the center of the car and while such tie-rods are shown as extending from the top of one post to the bottom of the second post therefrom, it will be evident that as occasion may demandas, for instance, increasing the length or decreasing the depth of the car side the intermediate post may be omitted and the tie-rods extend from the top of one post to the bottom of the next adjacent post and that the number of such tie-rods and posts may be increased to accommodate the increased de- IVhile I have shown the rods located exteriorly of the planks D, it will be evident that said posts and rods may be located interiorly of said planks without affecting the spirit of my invention.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trussed car side, the combination of upper and lower chords, a central vertical post, end posts, and a post intermediate of said center and end posts on each side of the center of the car side, said posts extending between said chords, of inclined tie-rods free from the sides and extending from the junction of each of the end posts and an upper chord to the junction of the intermediate posts and the lower chord, inclined tie-rods extending from the junction of said intermediate posts and the upper chord to the junction of the central post and the lower chord, and means for adjusting the tension of said rods, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the side of a car, up-

per and lower members, a tie-rod connecting the ends of said members, and an additional tie-rod extending from the end of the upper member to the lower member and connected thereto at a point intermediate'of. the end and center of the said member, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the side of a car, up per and lower members, a tie-rod connecting the ends of the members, said rod being flattened at the upper end to form an inclined hearing or washer surface, an inclined tie-rod extending through and at substantially right angles to the inclined portion of the first tierod and provided with a nut bearing against said washer, the lower end of said second tierod extending through and being connected to the lower member, substantially as described.

4- In a car side, the combination of upper and lower members, a hearing or washer plate for the end of the upper member, said plate having a portion engaging the end of the upper member and a portion engaging the upper surface of said member, the end of the latter portion being folded back upon itself to form an abutment, an inclined tie-rod extending through the horizontal portion and engaging said upper and lower members, and a washer on the upper end of said tie-rod, said washer abutting against the folded portion of the plate, substantially as described.

5. In a car side, the'combination of upper and lower members, a bearing-plate having a portion adapted to engage the end of the upper member and a portion adapted to engage the upper surface of said member, the end of the portion of the bearing-plate which engages the upper surface of said member being folded back to form an abutment, an inclined tie-rod extending through the upper surface of said plate and connecting said members, said tie-rod having a washer on the upper end of the same, said washer being provided with an overhanging lip and a vertical l tension of the said rods, substantially as deabutment beneath said lip adapted to engage the abutment on the plate, substantially as described.

6. In a trussed car side, the combination of upper and lower members, a central vertical posteonnecting said members, inclined tierods extending from the upper member through the portion of the lower-member ad jacent to said post, a plate on the lower side of said lower member adjacent to said post, and means for adjustably securing said tierods to said plate, substantially as described.

7. In a car side, the combination of upper and lower members, a central vertical post connecting said members, tie-rods extending between the upper and lower members and inclined downwardly toward the center of the side on each side of said post, the rods adjacent said post extending substantially beneath the same, and means fol adjusting the tension of said rods, substantially as described.

8. In a car side, the combination of upper and lower members, a central vertical post connecting said members, tie-rods on each side of said central post and extending through said members and inclined downwardly toward the center of the car, the rods adjacent said central post extending beneath the same, a central tie-rod extending through said members, and means for ad usting the scribed.

9. In a car side, the combination of upper and lower members, a central vertical post connecting said members, tie-rods extending through said members and inclined from the upper member downwardly toward the center of the car, the tie-rods adjacent said central post extending substantially beneath the same, a vertical tie-rod extending through said members and through the central post, and means for adjusting the tension of said rods, substantially as described.

10. In a car side, the combination of upper and lower members, a central vertical post connecting said members, a bearing-plate beneath said post having inclined bearing-surfaces and an intermediate fiat surface, inclined rods extending from the upper member through the lower member and the inclined bearingsurfaces on said plate, a vertical tie-rod extending through said members and the intermediate flat surface of said plate, and nuts for adjusting the tension of said rods, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto aflix my sig nature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH R. BOWLING.

Witnesses:

P. G. ANDERsnN, M. D. W HITCOMB. 

